August 5, 2026
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded its most prestigious grant to Elliott Professor of Chemistry Timothy M. Reichart for his work in drug discovery, chemical protein synthesis, and educational methods that advance the sciences. The Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award is given to early-career scientists who excel in research, leadership, education, and community outreach.
The $542,746 award is strategically distributed over its lifespan, with $435,628 directly funding hands-on research, advanced laboratory equipment, domestic and international travel, and $96,000 in research funding for 20 undergraduate science students over a period of fives years. The remaining $107,118 is allocated for institutional indirect costs.
Reichart’s research and implementation model is designed to provide a pipeline for high-poverty, rural, Pell-eligible students and undergraduates from underrepresented groups to conduct innovative biochemical research. The program will offer students paid, part-time research opportunities during the academic year and paid, full-time opportunities in the summer.
“Studying proteins allows us to better understand and manipulate biological systems as well as develop new protein therapeutics,” Reichart says. “I am excited to work alongside Hampden-Sydney students in pursuing this cutting-edge research.”
According to the NSF, “This premier program emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching, enthusiastic learning, and disseminating new knowledge.”
Typically awarded for multi-year doctoral and postdoctoral-level research and laboratory work, the grant is especially rare for a private liberal arts institution, such as Hampden-Sydney College.
“Dr. Reichart’s innovative vision for rapid, facile chemical protein synthesis secured this prestigious recognition,” says Associate Dean for Grants and Faculty Development Ivo Gyurovski ’09. “We also must acknowledge the extraordinary administrative work of Manager of College Grants Amanda Compton, the Business Office, and the Office of Sponsored Programs, which I lead. Enormous effort went into securing an award of this magnitude.”
Additionally, the funding provides opportunities for students to participate in a summer research study abroad program.
“The standards for securing this grant are rigorous in terms of research, scholarship, and administration. The NSF does not award CAREER grants casually to teaching colleges; they are awarded strictly for world-class, cutting-edge science,” says Gyurovski. “Passing the administrative clearinghouse and beating out hundreds of elite research universities proves that our newly revitalized Office of Sponsored Programs has successfully established a top-tier administrative framework.”
This historic milestone positions Hampden-Sydney College on the cutting edge of world-class biochemical research and discovery. By emphasizing a hands-on, student-centered, community-focused approach, Dr. Reichart’s award stands to provide needed developments in the field locally, nationally, and internationally.